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Sunday, December 11, 2011

Rejected Cover

As I am not able to edit my book until the betas respond, my goal is to complete the cover art. I have created about 20 mock-ups of ideas that contain different models, backgrounds, colors, concepts, etc. It's hard work making your own cover, because you're far too close to your story and finding something to your standards is challenging. The stock sites are great, although finding the right model for book covers is not easy. Most of the women on those sites are sipping tea, smiling, and running in a meadow filled with sunflowers.

I am grateful I have more options this time around. This is an example of a reject. You can see I didn't even complete it by the fuzzy edges around the model. It's choppy and makes no sense. She has a bit of Silver's attitude, but I don't think this works well for Book 2. Then there's the leather pants. Not to say my character will never put on a pair of leather pants, but this image as a whole just isn't right. I also want the book series to blend together, and this one does not resemble the first cover in any way. It feels like a totally different series.

I'd love for the model to look like how I see my character, but my options are limited. I can color hair and modify clothing a little bit, but I'm more concerned about conveying the right message. I once read a review someone did on a book where the woman was firing guns, and nowhere in the book does she ever handle a gun. We want our covers to be cool, but I think its important to be true to the story. It's important to make the reader feel something, and look at it for a few minutes to see what's going on. I love cover art, and truly enjoy tucking my bookmark in the page and staring at the cover again when its really good.

Who knows, maybe most Kindle readers pass by the cover and never give it a look - but it's important to me. I do not have any degree in graphic art design, but I've been playing around with digital art for over a year now to the point I'm very comfortable editing. I just happen to be indecisive...lol It would be awesome to put the final top covers and let readers vote, but that would ruin the surprise. :-)

I do hope that the final cover I select is enough to pique a reader's interest in clicking on the book to see what it's all about. A cover will never win over 100% of readers, but it is important that I know I gave it my 100%.

8 comments:

Do you have someone who could pose for you and portray just the right look? You could photograph in front of a blank wall that would make the digital extraction easy. Despite the model not being what you want there is an intriguing air to the visual that invites you in

HI Julie, not really. Also from amateur photography you won't get the same quality shots needed for cover art due to the right lighting needed. I once tried this and I had to layer over the picture with a filter because the lighting on the model was never quite right. Plus, you have to get them to sign a model release form (yes, even your friends) Or, at least, that would be a wise idea. Plus, I don't know anyone who fits the image I have in my head of the character any more than the stock sites. Ultimately, the reader is going to decide how they see a character. (To this day, I still see Bones as having long, wavy hair. - Night Huntress series)

I do like the model in the reject picture, just not for this particular book. I may use her in the future (this series or another). I had a pile of images to sift through and it's a tough decision having to narrow them down. Someone may circle back to this image in the future and say "I liked her better!" But that's the nature of the beast; you can't satisfy everyone.

Hi Dannika, I think you're right about this cover going into the Reject pile. It just doesn't fit the feel started by the cover of the first book. I am also a big fan of half obscured faces (or completely obscured) so I can imagine the heroine!

Can't wait till the book comes out--if the sequels are anywhere near the quality of the first I'll stick with all of them! :)

I think sometimes I'm more concerned about how the men look on the cover than the women. But regardless, however the models are presented, the reader's imagination will always trump what's on the cover. Thanks so much, I'm anxious to get it released!

Hi Ashley, I don't have a date I can firmly commit to because I'm still working on the edit. I am very hopeful for it to be within the month of January. Should anything change, you can bet I'll post an update on my blog and facebook page. :)